Ramblings from my travels

Tag: city

I’m an ardent cyclist, so I could not pass up the opportunity to go on a biking tour in Barcelona. Sightseeing while biking is an enjoyable adventure. What’s more, it’s easy to “feel” the city in a way that is not possible when taking a tram, bus, or the metro. It’s best to get a guide who will offer commentary as you ride along. The bike tour I took included Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, the Barcelona Cathedral, Ciutadella Park, the Gothic Quarter, and a couple of more places.
The Gothic Quarter was probably the most enjoyable on my cycling break. The Gothic buildings, the spiritual connotations of Saint Eulalia and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, were deeply moving. The structures are astounding and worth every ounce of energy I used pedaling to view them!La Ramblas is the colossal pedestrian pathway full of saplings and other vegetation. It’s full of life and filled with dining places and souvenir stores. I enjoyed the waterfront harbor the Port Vell Old Harbor. It’s relaxing and serene. The lavish yachts and vessels are awesome. There is also the Olympic Harbor, which is very modernistic. I also cycled through one of the key boulevards in Barcelona the “Paseig de Gracia Street.” La Pedrera and Casa Batllo are located there. These two domiciles were designed and constructed by Gaudi, a very famous architect from Spain. In fact, many of Spain’s edifices are inspired by Gaudi’s extraordinary architecture and vision.
The city is amazingly bike friendly and it’s inspiring to visit many places that the tour buses will totally miss. It was great because the tour was in English as well. If you love bike riding I highly recommend taking a cycling break in Barcelona.Barcelona Has Been a Holiday Dream Come True
There are so many words that can depict my feelings about Barcelona. It’s such an inspiring place and has everything you could possibly dream of when going on holiday. Wonderful food, beautiful beaches, great night life, and a friendly and warm people. What’s more, visiting the city won’t hurt your budget either if you know the right places to stay and how to get around. I hope my description of my visits to Barcelona has inspired you to visit this fascinating city. You won’t regret it!

I decided to return to Barcelona for a longer period. There’s just too much to see and do in this magical city to really feel the essence of the city in one weekend. This time it’s a real holiday and I’m so excited! The beautiful beaches, quaint streets, delicious food, and a whopping night-life makes Barcelona the place to be when visiting Spain. I made my rounds via the city centre on foot and hopped on the metro as well. All the major sights are linked. Plus, I did my own thing and just rambled about in total bliss.
Though the winters are relatively mild, I decided to hit the city during the summer high season. I wanted to feel the energy of the people and flock to the city beaches or hang-out in one of the many tapas bar. September to December it rains a lot and January to April, though the hotel deals are fantastic, I wanted to experience the warmer weather. It was easier to meet others like myself who are friendly and holidaying in Barcelona during the summer season as well. There’s no doubt about it, holidays in Barcelona are spirited, intriguing, and energetic simultaneously. By infusing the laissez faire ambiance of the city with superb sightseeing, it was worth every moment I spent financially and time wise.This time, my visit to Barcelona was for a longer period, so I decided to purchase the “Barcelona Card.” This card was the gateway to nearly everything I wanted to see in the city including transportation. I mean this card is fantastic! Here’s what I received:
-A gratis, unlimited amount of transportation opportunities. This means ALL public transportation including the tram, bus, and metro, even to Barcelona airport. You also receive free maps and tourist guides.
-Discount entrances to attractions in the Barcelona city center like museums, art galleries and various landmarks.
-It’s super convenient because there is no need to stand in line each time to purchase a ticket. Which can be a struggle, if one does not speak the language. I just presented my card and I was in every venue!
-I also loved that I saved money at least 15% when buying authentic Barcelona souvenirs if they are purchased at the tourist office in Plaça Catalunya.
-It’s hard to resist the appetizing food in Barcelona and luckily the discount card offers a 10% discount on certain restaurants in the city!
-Whenever I visit different cultures, I like to hear the aboriginal sounds of their music. With this card, I got a 20% discount for Gran Teatre del Liceu (an opera house) and Palau de la Musica ( for more classical music). However, this does not mean I missed out on the provocative authentic flamenco dancing and music. I enjoyed both the Tablao Flamenco Cordobés and the El Patio Andaluz.

Tablao Flamenco Cordobés is situated on the well-known La Rambla in the heart of Barcelona. It’s been around for several decades and is one of the main venues on the Barcelona flamenco scene. They also have a “Grand Tasting Festival” that you can check-out prior to the show. Nonetheless, I would suggest not to miss El Patio Andaluz. It provides an Andalusian (a nationality of Spain) ambiance also in the heart of Barcelona. This venue includes a bar on the upper-level where people can chill-out and savor the Spanish music with a nice cocktail. On the lower-level is a restaurant that offers a choice of Spanish and Andalusian cuisine.
So, as you can see, it’s definitely worth it to buy the Barcelona Card. It can be purchased online and it lasts for two to five days. If you are staying longer, just buy another one before the other ticket runs out. That’s what I did and it worked out just fine!
I had a blast at the Barceloneta Beach. By the way, all the beaches (beach is “Playa” in Spanish) are easy to get to. They all follow the yellow metro-line L4. Of course, I couldn’t miss out on visiting at least one of the beaches, especially with my discount card. The beaches can get pretty busy in the summer time. Each of the beaches have a quaint section for a bar that sits on the sand known as “chiringuitos.” Everybody hangs out there. Besides cocktails, the bar serves snacks and salads too. Only thing I would warn about when it comes to the beaches in Barcelona are the jellyfish. But they do put up a yellow warning flag if there are an abundant amount of jellyfish in the water.

The night life is pumping in Barcelona, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check-out a couple of night clubs. I’m more of a mover-and-shaker when it comes to the night club scene. I like a good beat and dance the night away, that’s why I selected Marula Café, located in the Gothic Quarter. This place will get you on your feet. They play a lot of house music, R&B, and old-school-style music. It’s great if that’s the type of music you like.
I stopped by the Sidecar Factory Club as well. It’s more for live rock band enthusiasts with an underground vibe with all the wailing guitars and DJs playing every night. It’s a good joint if you like this type of music. It’s somewhat like a singles scene as well. It’s not to everyone’s taste, but it was cool checking it out.
After enjoying many of the things most people do when visiting Barcelona, I decided to delve into one of my passions, cycling.

This is my second trip to Barcelona. you can read about my first trip Here

I have subsequently been back on a cycling trip and you can read about that trip here